Monday, January 06, 2014

It’s cold and flu season, and it seems like everyone’s been sick that I know (including myself). For parents of young children, it can be especially scary to have a sick child because children have difficulty expressing how they’re feeling. Parents often need to play detective to figure out what’s wrong with their child. That’s why it’s so important to have a book like The A to Z of Children’s Health: A Parent’s Guide from Birth to 10 Years in the house. Written by pediatric experts at the world-renowned Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, this is a comprehensive alphabetical guide to more than 235 childhood illnesses and conditions.

The A to Z of Children’s Health is extremely user-friendly. There are plenty of pictures and charts, along with case studies and definitions of medical terms. The alphabetical table of contents functions more like an index, making it very easy to locate the information you need. For example, they have “Abdominal Pain” listed, but there’s also a listing for “Stomach Ache,” a term that people are probably more likely to search for. Look up a problem like “Picky Eater,” and you’ll be referred to the “Eating Habits” section. Just about any common childhood condition you can think of is covered. And each section is very comprehensive. Is your child throwing up? In the “Vomiting” section, you’re told what to do, red flags, what the color means, various causes, signs and symptoms, and much more.

The A to Z of Children’s Health also covers topics like bullying and cyberbullying, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, autism, temper tantrums, school phobia and other issues of the sort. In an age when searching for symptoms online can lead to all kinds of scary and unreliable information, having a source like The A to Z of Children’s Health, written by trusted professionals, is extremely valuable for parents to have on hand. This book makes an excellent gift for expectant and new parents. All parents should have a copy of The A to Z of Children’s Health at home.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest evaluation. All opinions are 100% my own. As the book makes clear, this “is a general guide only and should never be a substitute for the skill, knowledge, and experience of a qualified medical professional dealing with the facts, circumstances, and symptoms of a particular case.” This post contains my Amazon affiliate link.